§ 16-59-6 - Commissioner of higher education.
SECTION 16-59-6
§ 16-59-6 Commissioner of highereducation. – The board shall appoint a commissioner of higher education, who shall serve atthe pleasure of the board, provided that his or her initial engagement by theboard shall be for a period of not more than three (3) years. For the purposeof appointing, retaining, or dismissing a commissioner of higher education, thegovernor shall serve as an additional voting member of the board, and providedthat in the case of a tie, the president of the senate shall cast the decidingvote. The position of commissioner shall be in the unclassified service of thestate and he or she shall serve as the chief executive officer of the board ofgovernors and as the chief administrative officer of the office of highereducation. The commissioner of higher education shall have any duties that aredefined in this section and in this title and other additional duties as may bedetermined by the board, and shall perform any other duties as may be vested inhim or her by law. In addition to these duties and general supervision of theoffice of higher education and the appointment of the several officers andemployees of the office, it shall be the duty of the commissioner of highereducation:
(1) To develop and implement a systematic program ofinformation gathering, processing, and analysis addressed to every aspect ofhigher education in the state, especially as that information relates tocurrent and future educational needs.
(2) To prepare a master plan for higher education in thestate; to coordinate the goals and objectives of the higher public educationsector with the activities of the independent higher education sector wherefeasible.
(3) To communicate with and seek the advice of thoseconcerned with and affected by the board of governors' determinations.
(4) To implement broad policy as it pertains to the goals andobjectives established by the board; to enforce standards and to exercisegeneral supervision over higher public education in the state and overindependent higher education in the state as provided in subdivision (11) ofthis section; to assist in the preparation of the budget for public highereducation and to be responsible upon direction of the board for the allocationof appropriations, the acquisition, holding, disposition, and generalmanagement of property.
(5) To be responsible for the coordination of the varioushigher educational functions of the state so that maximum efficiency andeconomy can be achieved.
(6) To assist the board in preparation and maintenance of afive (5) year funding plan for higher education; to assist the board in thepreparation and presentation annually to the state budget officer in accordancewith § 35-3-4 of a total public higher educational budget.
(7) To recommend to the board of governors, afterconsultation with the presidents, a clear and definitive mission for eachpublic institution of higher learning.
(8) To recommend to the board of governors, afterconsultation with the presidents, tables of organization for the publicinstitutions of higher learning.
(9) To annually recommend to the board of governors, afterconsultation with the presidents, the creation, abolition, retention, orconsolidation of departments, divisions, programs, and courses of study withinthe public colleges and universities to eliminate unnecessary duplication inpublic higher education and to address the future needs of public highereducation in the state.
(10) To supervise the operations of the office of highereducation and any other additional duties and responsibilities that may beassigned by the board.
(11) To perform the duties vested in the board of governorswith relation to independent higher educational institutions within the stateunder the terms of chapter 40 of this title and any other laws that affectindependent higher education in the state.
(12) To be responsible for the administration of policies,rules, and regulations of the board of governors with relation to the entirefield of higher education within the state, not specifically granted to anyother department, board, or agency and not incompatible with law.
(13) To prepare standard accounting procedures for publichigher education and all public colleges and universities.
(14) To carry out the policies and directives of the board ofgovernors through the office of higher education and through utilization of theresources of the public institutions of higher learning.
(15) To direct the office of higher education to compile andanalyze the following information for presentation to the speaker of the houseand the governor by May 1st annually:
(A) A detailed departmental breakdown of all faculty membersemployed at each state run college and university by rank (including allprofessors, associate professors, assistant professors, lecturers, instructors)and tenure (tenured and non-tenured, other) and by race (African American,Hispanic, Native American, and Asian) and gender.
(B) A detailed report on current student enrollments for eachclass at each state run college and university by race and gender, by academicdepartment, and by outreach program (e.g. talent development), guaranteedadmissions program, and the current levels of funding and staff support foreach of these programs.
(C) A report on the current status of the African andAfro-American studies programs at each institution and a five (5) yearbudgetary history of the programs along with projections for budgetary supportfor the next two (2) years.
(D) A plan for recruitment of African American and Hispanicfaculty into tenure track positions at each institution with specific referenceto and planned involvement with the New England higher education's minorityfaculty recruitment and development plan.
(ii) Certified copies of the report shall be furnished to theboard of governors and the presidents of the state colleges and universities.